Selected Impromptu Comments on the Occasion of a Visit to the Handicap Soldiers Development Centre at Ta Ken Koh Sla, Chhouk District, Kompot Province [Unofficial Translation].

Today, my wife and I, together with other leaders have come here once again to conduct our annual visit. Last year we came in June. This year we came late. However, late is better than never. We are here today to greet achievements that we have realized – fences of the school and pagoda. With contributions I have here from HE Deputy Prime Ministers Ke Kim Yan and Bin Chhin, HE Im Setthi, HE Pen Siman, we have discussed to make use of the money to build a fence for our hospital. As this is our people’s time to celebrate Kathina (a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists, usually in October) I have decided that General Hing Bun Heang will initiate the event with participation of the Buddhist parishioners here […]

Welcome New Academic Year 2015/16

My wife and I are pleased to be here on the opening academic year day for 2015-16 on 1 November 2015. TVs have already broadcasted my welcoming speech of the New Academic Year already. I would take this opportune moment to congratulate teachers, especially students who will continue their studies to a higher level and those who will start their schooling. We have (primary, junior, and senior secondary) schools here, except the University. Over there, it is a primary school and there is some land available. On this side, we have secondary school, which is adjacent to the primary school. It is my pride to have learned that twenty from 34 students have passed the senior secondary school final exam and 18 of them have had scholarships to continue their study to tertiary level. However, it seems that the remaining two – Juan Sok Chan and Kian Den, have not received their scholarships yet because they have not attended the screening session. Should they wish to continue their studies, we would provide them with scholarships […]

Ta Ken Koh Sla Is Better Than Kian Svay

… General Tit Meng Long made it clear that living here in Ta Ken Koh Sla is a hundred folds different from when they lived in Kian Svay’s centre. It is true indeed that living here (in Ta Ken Koh Sla) is better because everyone has his/her own plot of land, while in Kian Svay, you were living in a centre. Here, family of handicap soldiers has their own land with ownership titles. They also have their health and education concerns answered. The place (Handicap Soldiers Development Centre) serves not only handicap soldiers but also people living in the surrounding areas, who looked for education and health services – clinic and referral hospital, here. I think we are pleased to see the fruits of what we have tried to do together. I would take this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks to generous persons, who provided helps since the beginning of the project. We also used a certain amount of state budget for construction of roads as part of this development project. Many had contributed to constructions of houses here. Some have lived in and enlarged houses to adapt to their needs. I just wanted to advise some that while others help them, they also have to help themselves […]

Seven Handicap Soldiers Just Arrived

… I must recognize efforts made by everyone, including the seven handicap soldiers who have just arrived. Mr. Krem Veasna, coming from Kompong Chhnang, was a welder in a Tank regiment. He had himself made know by the newspaper Koh Santepheap. Meas Ratana, from Banteay Meanjei’s Poi Pet, stepped and maimed his legs for mines in Thmor Puok in 1987, coming from division 179, regiment 10. He also had himself made known by the newspaper Koh Santepheap. Mr. Pao Ret, from division 4, survived as a singer, brought to our attention by the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. Mr. Kry Pros, from Kompong Chhnang, regiment 7, also maimed his legs for mine. Mr. Jon Peo, from battalion 1 had his left leg amputated because of mine in 1995. He comes from Takeo. Phnom Penh Post reported about him. I heard he also has a problem with enlarged heart. Now you are not far from hospital. He was too worried to come here away from his relatives and hospital. However, hospital here is more sophisticated than health service in his village. Mr. Koy Kim Chhoeum, formerly soldier of regiment 2 of the military in Kompong Speu. Mr. Long De, I learnt of him on Facebook. The bodyguards denied his entry when I presided over the inauguration of the Jroy Jangva Bridge. Formerly he was a soldier in a military unit next to mine in Tbong Khmum. It was fortunate that we had one last home available for him here. We do not have any more land to build more houses […]

Please End Gambling

As far as gambling is concerned, I learnt that there is this game of betting on the lottery numbers in the market of Techo. I heard that there is also card play and betting on boxing. It is difficult to do away boxing bet […] I am feeling ashamed that some officials I used to be friend with become gamblers. Please allow me to send you a message from here. I have the need to use money for the sake of handicap soldiers, poor people. I cannot afford to give it to those who would use for gambling. This message is for everywhere relevant in the whole country. They must stop, should they wish to keep a faithful amicableness from me. I urge you to stop this practice of gambling with lottery numbers. I hope you will think again and do not leave your children bad examples. HE Khoy Khun Huor, governor of Kompot, should take care of this area. It is not a military barrack that you do not have right to inspect it. It is a development area for handicap soldiers.

Rectifying Pensions of Retirees

… There are two messages that I wish to share with our people, especially both handicap soldiers and pensioners. Firstly, we are working to rectify consecutively pensions for old and new retirees, who have received different pension schemes. Old retirees have their pension low and new retirees have their pension higher. According to the report I have here, we are working to roll those with low pension closer to those who got higher. Our objective is to ascertain that the minimum salary shall be 480,000 Riel or 120 USD by 2018, when the Royal Government’s incumbent officials and armed forces will receive a salary that is not going to be lower than one million Riel. It means that salary increase will not apply only for incumbent officials and armed forces. We also do it for retirees and handicap soldiers […]

The Mekong Level Too Low To Race Boats

The second message is for our people in the whole country, especially those who reside along the Mekong and other rivers, and who always gathered in Phnom Penh for the water festival. I issued yesterday a circulation to cancel the boat race event, which is to take place normally before the Royal Palace. Habitually, boat race event is organized in Phnom Penh when the Mekong water level is at least between seven and eight meters. As of today, the water level is at 5.07 meters and will decrease to 4.89 tomorrow and 4.91 the day after that. The Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology assured that towards the 24, 25 and 26 November, when the boat race event is to occur, the water level of the Mekong would be as low as 4.20 meters. It is going to be too low for boat race. I need to bring this to your attention from afar as organizing a boat race involves so many preparations. People who will bring their boats for the race would have to find supports for their uniform needs, food supplies, fixing their boats and rowing practices. Just for your information, the Mekong level this year is low not only in the part that it runs across Cambodia but a whole system down from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and through to Vietnam.

Converting Boat Race Event Budget to Fuel for Irrigation

… For some of the areas along the rivers, people are cultivating flood recession rice. We have the need to cancel the boat race in Phnom Penh but authority in each province may want to proceed with the tradition according to their ability. We will not organize the event in Phnom Penh. As for other parts of the water festival – eating Ambok (crushed newly harvested rice) and Sam Peas Preah Khe (moon pray), people will organize it in their homes and pagodas. It is our tradition. Officials and workers are to have three days off as is stipulated in the sub-decree on national holidays. I hope our people will spare this cancellation their understanding. In 2011, the flood was too high at about 9 meters and we cancelled the event too for fear of accident. At that moment, people along the rivers and areas in Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Thom, still had their homes flooded. In 2013, the flood was big and boat race was difficult as water current did not seem to flow out of the Tonle Sap river to the Mekong (normally, boat race in Phnom Penh takes place in parallel with flow of the Tonle Sap on the north to Mekong on the South in front of the Royal Palace). I hope our people and Buddhist monks understand this situation. I urge the Ministry of Economy and Finance to convert budget for water festival for purchasing fuel for water pumping. We already disbursed some budget for pumping water into reservoirs but we need more to do so for the sake of our people to grow dry season and flood recession rice that are in need of water./.